Siberian Tigers descend on Chinese villages, attacking livestock and residents

[Anchor]

In Northeast China, there are increasing reports of damage to homes caused by Siberian Tigers.

As the population has surged due to tiger protection policies, tigers have come down from the mountains, attacking livestock and even people.

Kim Hyo-shin reports from Beijing.

[Report]

Early in the morning, the roar of a beast echoes through a rural village in Northeast China.

A resident steps out of the yard to check what is happening, and at that moment, an excited tiger rushes towards him, crashing into the iron gate.

The impact causes the end of the gate to break off.

The resident quickly dodges and escapes the crisis.

[Affected resident: "I heard there was a tiger over there, so I went out to see if it was real. The tiger suddenly charged at me from the edge of the field."]

One of the two tigers spotted by villagers bit the arm of a farmer working in a barn and then fled.

[Neighboring resident: "He was bitten right here. That person was feeding the cow when he was attacked, and his son hurriedly took his father and ran away."]

The police have mobilized drones to capture the tigers.

Residents near the accident site have been ordered to stay indoors.

China is establishing the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces to promote tiger breeding and protection.

The population of Siberian Tigers, which was only 28 in 2013, has surged to 70 this year, a 2.5-fold increase.

At the end of last year, tigers came down to homes and killed dogs and cows, and in 2021, they attacked farmers.

It was a winter with a shortage of food.

Chinese authorities are providing 2 million won annually to each resident living near the tiger protection area, but residents are calling for more safety measures.

This is Kim Hyo-shin from KBS News in Beijing.